As women globally mark the 2025 International Women’s Day with the theme: #Accelerate Action# “Step Forward in Solidarity for International Women’s Day”, while focusing on Women Empowerment, health, decision making, leadership, Education and training.
Some Women Leaders in Nigeria lend their voices with their global counterparts on the significance of International Women’s Day. Among whom are: Dr. Neemat Dauda Abdulrahim, Director, FCT Education Resource Centre, and Yeye Adesola Oyinloye-Ndu, HR Expert, Special Adviser to the Chairman FIRS on Customer Centricity.
The theme for the 2025 International Women’s Day is meant to encourage women’s right, increase their participation in sectors where they are currently underrepresented which include Science, technology, engineering, politics among others. These areas are key to women empowerment.
Dr. Neemat Dauda Abdulrahim, said education is crucial for women because it empowers them to make informed choices about their lives, to have self confidence in themselves, improves their economic opportunities, positively impacts their families and communities. Also, it can help break cycles of poverty and discrimination by providing them with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the workforce and society at large.
She believes in educating and empowering women as education molds individuals to have self confidence in themselves . She thereby charged all key stakeholders to collaborate among themselves, while urging women to network, support and encourage each other as individual, corporate bodies, and government.
Dr Neemat who said “Acquisition of knowledge is a life long process, and women should continue to acquire new knowledge also said learning is a continuous process and must not stop except the individual dies.
She used the opportunity to condemn all manners of violence against women: both domestic and sexual violence and call for Solidarity for women and girls.
In the same vein, Yeye Adesola Oyinloye-Ndu, said the theme for 2025 International Women’s Day, “#Accelerate Action# Step Forward in Solidarity,” for her is a call to action for individuals, organizations, and governments to work together to accelerate progress towards gender equality.
According to her, the theme highlights the need for collective action to address the various challenges faced by women, including:
Promoting women’s autonomy, self-confidence, and independence to make informed decisions about their lives.
Ensuring access to quality healthcare, addressing maternal mortality, and promoting reproductive health and rights.
Increasing women’s participation in decision-making processes at all levels, from local to global.
Promoting women’s leadership in all sectors, including politics, business, and civil society.
Ensuring equal access to education and training opportunities, including vocational training and skills development.” Yeye Adesola said.
In her words:
“In addition, to accelerate action towards gender equality, we must listen to and amplify the voices of women, particularly those from marginalized communities.
Recognize and address the intersecting forms of discrimination faced by women, including racism, homophobia, and ableism.
Advocate for policies and laws that promote gender equality and address the specific needs of women.
Support and fund women-led initiatives and organizations working towards gender equality.
Engage men and boys in promoting gender equality and challenging patriarchal norms.
Finally, the theme calls on individuals and organizations to “step forward in solidarity” with women and girls, recognizing that:
Solidarity among women and between women and men is crucial for achieving gender equality.
Collective action is necessary to address the systemic and structural barriers that prevent women from achieving their full potential. Everyone has a role to play in promoting gender equality, regardless of their background, identity, or position.” She said.
Yeye Adesola who calls on Women Globally to remember they have the power to create changes in their life and others advised them to speak out, support one another and never give up.
Adding that the governments should develop and implement policies that promote gender equality, provide adequate resources for women’s empowerment, and hold perpetrators of gender-based violence accountable.
